


Faith

by aadk



Category: Astonishing X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: After Annihilation Conquest, F/M, Guilt, bullet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 02:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4901590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aadk/pseuds/aadk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Quill fought and survived two wars. But now he's faced with a crisis he has no way to solve. What can he do when all hope is lost?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faith

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place during the Breakworld crisis in Giant Size Astonishing X-Men. Three days after Annihilation Conquest.

It was a cold night in Hala. Peter Quill, the soldier who carried the legacy of one of the most well known legends in the Galaxy, was looking up to the sky; wondering about many things. He was thinking about his life, his decisions, his future, the galaxy. There was one time when these things mattered a little bit too much to him. After playing super-hero for so long, he had gotten used to think about other people, to wonder if he was doing enough to help others. Then one day, in a matter of hours, the game took everything from him in one single fight. His honor, his reputation...his first love.

Love. His former lover, Ship, tried to teach him everything she could about love. Peter wanted to believe he reciprocated her as best as he could. Ship was a living being and he always treated her as such. There was times though, when he questioned what they had. Was it as special as he thought it was? She loved him a lot, no questioning that. Yet he...he felt like he was distant at times. Never completely satisfied. A lot of guilt started accumulating inside him for that. Guilt for not having done more for her. For having taken her for granted so many times. Maybe he wasn't ready for love. Love sure had nothing to do with what he was best at.

War.

War was where he felt at home. War was the thing that gave his life a new meaning. The wars he had won ever since he met his best friend Richie convinced him that the battlefield is where he excelled. Where he always got A++. Hurting others is what he did best. Pulling the trigger was his vocation. Love just hurt him and anyone who dared to love him back.

He felt dirty and empty at that thought.

A few Kree running caught his attention and made him come back to reality, away from his thoughts. He was curious now, wondering where they were going in such a hurry. It was just three days since they had barely managed to defeat Ultron and the Phalanx to save Hala, a new crisis this soon would be incredibly troublesome. Worried, he decided to follow them. Soon he ascertained the source of their despair. It was a signal. They had just received a signal across the galaxy from a place they knew very well and that Peter knew even better.

Earth.

"What's happening?" Peter asked to one of the Kree in the room.

"It's Earth, our intelligence indicates that it's...it's..."

Peter felt the hesitation in the Kree. If a soldier of such a proud and fearless race was scared about the current events, then it couldn't be anything good.

"It's what. On war? Frozen? Filled with horrible music from the current generation?" Peter asked very expectant.

"It's about to be destroyed."

Peter froze cold.

"A giant bullet, fired from the planet DG64-FY7832 Codenamed: Breakworld. Collision time estimated in 1 Earth hour."

Earth...was about to...be destroyed...

"Well, do something!!!" Peter screamed.

"There's nothing we, or anyone can do now. The projectile seems to be composed of Breakworld metal. Very special material, crafted with outstanding precision. It would take days to find a weakness on an structure with the colossal size this one has. That is, if we were even close to the Milky Way Galaxy."

Peter felt cold. His arm started trembling his eyes were open wide in shock and fear. With one fast movement, he turned and started running with no destination. His mind going through many ideas, all futile, all useless. It wasn't too long until he made it back to the balcony where he was lazily thinking before. Peter moved his head up to see the stars again, reality slowly dawned on him.

There was really nothing he could do now.

"Damn!!!" Peter muttered, making fists with both arms. He grabbed his communicator and called his friend Richard.

"Richie, did you hear about Earth?!"

"Yes Peter. Yes."

"What are we gonna do?"

"I...don't know." Richard said, Peter could sense the hesitation and sorrow in his voice as it fade away.

"No, come on Damn it! We have to do something. There must be something we can do!!! I was thinking about teleportation. We can teleport there and then..."

"Peter calm down okay. We don't know all the details about what's happening. I'm sure people on Earth are aware of this situation. For all we know, they are probably creating something to destroy this thing. You know Earth is not short of weird people."

"But Richie..." Peter was not completely convinced but Richard cut him to add.

"I know Peter. I'm going to try to come up with a plan. But right now, we need to be strong and have faith. I'm sure they will find a way out like they always do."

Peter didn't add anything else. He was just too devastated by the idea of Earth perishing...just like that.

"Peter... are you going to be alright?," Richard asked. Peter heard him and responded with a hesitant, "Y-Yeah. I think...Yeah."

"Hang in there pal. I'll call you if we come up with something," Richard said and Peter responded, "Sure." before hanging up.

Looking up at the stars again, Peter started wondering about those last words Richard said.

Have faith...

What kind of faith could save people on Earth right now. Super Policemen, Super Humans, Mutants, Aliens, Sorcerers, Gods...None of those groups were trusty enough for Peter Quill. After all, they had used their gifts to pick fight after fight among each other for dumb reasons. Of course, normal people was as unreliable as the super people. Not smart enough to see past simple differences and unite for the common good of a planet that was so special and desired.

Have faith...

Peter started wondering about what exactly he used to have faith in. Vengeance was the first thing that came to mind. The vengeance he desperately sought in order to avenge her fallen mother. The fuel that pushed him to insult, steal and kill others during his teenage and college years...

No, that wasn't it. Vengeance was just a consequence, an action that came as a result of another emotion. What was that emotion. Not rage, not fear, not sorrow...

...Love?

His mind dig out the thoughts he was contemplating before he heard the dire news about Earth. 

Love. There was just one person who received all the raw, unfiltered love he could possible produce. His mother Meredith. She was the sweetest, kindest, strongest, bravest woman he had ever met, and he had met quite a lot of people in his travels across many galaxies. Memories started flooding his mind, prompting a smile in his face. He remembered those afternoons when they would stay at home watching TV together; those mornings when they would cook together and Peter would start dancing goofily, making his mother laugh; the times when she took him to the park to play for hours; and there was also those other times...

The times when her mother would get sick and he would stay by her side all day, not even going to school (something that always made her mad); the times when he would get in trouble at school and her mother would need to go and pick him up; the times when her mother would start talking about his father, making him angry.

It was a connection so deep that in some way brought the best of each other. Made them stronger. Allowed them to be themselves. Gave them both a reason to get up and keep living. It was strong enough that, when it was severed, it got twisted and became fuel to his response, vengeance.

But what did all of that matter at this moment? Earth was going to be destroyed and love could not save it, just like love couldn't save his mother back then. No matter how much he cried and mourned, she never came back. Same way love couldn't save Ship.

Love can't save anyone.

Peter stopped thinking, the minutes kept passing and his need to do something was getting stronger. For plenty of minutes, he tried again to device some kind of plan, called people, asked them what he should do, wondered if he should actually teleport alone or take a ship and fly to Earth himself. What would he do then? At some point, he took out his communicator to see the time. Half an hour had passed. That meant Earth only had roughly 30 more minutes before disappearing forever.

He started questioning his own mind now. Why was he so worried about a place that never brought him anything but sorrow before? He was happy out here in space. Sure, he almost died many times and seems like stuff will always get more dangerous for him out here, but he was happy. Yet, he couldn't deny that there was something about Earth that always attracted him. He couldn't help but feel extremely sad at the idea of humanity disappearing. His race disappearing. If only he had hurried up and formed his new team sooner, if only he had worried more about Earth, if only...

If only he had more faith.

Faith in humanity? Faith in the super humans? Faith in what?

One idea came back fast into his mind and infected it completely again. Faith in love?

Could love save Earth? 'Such a ridiculous idea' Peter thought, but at that moment he realized that deep inside, he believed it could be true. Despite having gotten to the conclusion that love was useless, there was something that made way too much sense for him. Love was not only the force behind most of his decisions in life but also the one thing that always pulled him out of the abyss. After she was gone, his love for his mother helped him go through the rough years as an orphan. His love for Ship saved him from his path of vengeance and pushed him to become a better man. His best friend Richard dragged him back to his feet after he had sent everything to hell. Even his most recent friends like Rocket were trying to help him out of his guilt for having allowed the Phalanx in. The love from the people who cared always helped him to continue through the worst of times, he simply could not deny that fact. But this was different, Earth needed a big thing to destroy that bullet or, maybe a portal to send it elsewhere or maybe...maybe it needs just the people.

His communicator beeped once more. It was Richard.

"Richie what's up. I wanna hear good news."

"I'm sorry Peter, Earth's fate seems to be sealed."

Peter was dead silent and maybe even paralyzed.

"I tried to reach as many empires and allies as possible but not one thinks it's possible to save Earth in such short amount of time. I guess it's up to them now."

Peter couldn't answer. The idea of Earth disappearing was dawning more and more on him with every passing minute.

"Listen Peter, I heard there's a bunch of guys fighting in Breakworld. The X-Men, you know them? Big guys that shoot beams or have claws. Earth's Mutant Heroes. They are on the job. I'm sure they can pull it off. They always do right?" Richard said, his voice unsure at the end. Peter was still processing this in his mind and Richard realized this.

"Peter?" Peter finally came back to reality.

"Richie...I have to go." Peter then hung up and walked to a window. Watching the stars once more, he started feeling more useless than before, really guilty for not being able to do anything. There was no reason to feel like this, and Peter knew it wasn't his fault; but nonetheless, he felt the guilt, the despair, and the disappointment at himself.

The minutes kept passing. Soon, there was no more time left. Ten minutes before impact. Peter got up from the chair he was sitting on and went to another balcony. This time he didn't start thinking. This time he finally felt like speaking.

"God, I know I'm not a person that's on your good list or anything. To be honest, I'm not sure if talking to you makes me crazy or sane. But my mother used to find strength in you, so...I guess...I guess I need that strength now."

Peter took a deep breath and continued.

"For so long I've been trying to make a difference in the galaxy; fighting wars, killing people, doing all that bad stuff you frown upon. I hate war, but I know doing what's necessary to help the innocent is what's right in my book. I'm not gonna ask for forgiveness or help. I know I'm beyond saving at this point. What I want is you to help Earth. I'm asking you, even when I don't believe in you completely, to help Earth. If faith means anything to the universe, then I'm more than willing to try this time. It's true that I have shown my disapproval for Earth at times, but now I need to see them survive. At times of great despair and hopelessness, I always found love was my great savior. It might be true for Earth this time as well, I don't know if you are a great catalyst or anything but...if you can...God, I want you to send all my love to that person trying to save Earth. In my love lies my strength. If there's one person who can do a miracle and save my race, then I send all my strength to that person in hopes of seeing the Earth spinning one more day."

Peter felt a little dumb but he really needed to let out all these feelings of guilt and anger boiling inside him. Making a fist, he screamed as hard as he could, "GOD, SEND MY STRENGTH!!!"

Silence followed and Peter took that as a sign of to finish his prayer.

"Amen or whatever."

Peter didn't know how to feel after doing that. He really wasn't a man of faith, but he was desperate. Feeling there was nothing else he could do, he decided to go to his room and sleep, hoping that the person he sent his loved to, existed.

Not much longer, it was way past the deadline. Peter couldn't sleep one bit so he decided to get up and find out how bad the damage was. To his surprise, the damage was nonexistent. Earth had been saved.

Peter was amazed but grateful, really grateful. The bullet had gone through Earth without making any kind of damage. It was magic, a miracle. Reports kept coming about what exactly happened, but Peter didn't care about details. He, at least for this moment, was feeling like a man of faith. No matter how many wars he would win or how many bullets he would shoot for the safe of others, he would never forget about the day this miracle happened.

The day love saved his home planet.


End file.
